Skip to main content

“We have been redeemed from the curse not only to enjoy blessing but also to pass it on to others.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 98). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

So many around us feel as if they are living under a curse but are seeking a blessing.

Jon says, “John Ortberg again gets at the heart of this: ‘Blessing and cursing are not compartmentalized Bible words at all. They are simply the two ways that we treat people. They are as inseparable as breathing in and breathing out.’ (Ortberg, Soul Keeping, 154–55.)  What would it look like for you to begin to be a source of blessing to those around you?

Jon goes on, “We often underestimate the power of the words we speak into the lives of others. Words create worlds. God said, ‘Let there be…’ and there was. We can shape hearts and minds and identities by the things we speak into others. That’s why James is mortified by the thought of someone worshipping God with passionate emotion at church, then speaking hurtful words to others during the week. He writes, ‘With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.’ (James 3:9-10). When I first realized the ability to bless or curse those around me, I was deeply convicted, especially about the way I spoke to my family. In Proverbs, we read, ‘The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.’ (Proverb 12:18) I had to come to terms with my harsh temper and careless words. I was walking around piercing those I loved with cutting comments, sarcastic wit, and outbursts of anger. In particular, I had to ask my wife for forgiveness. She has been wounded a lot in life, and I could see the immediate healing that began when I admitted my wrong, asked for her help, and started to speak blessings over her.”

He later says, “I have resolved that my words will heal and not pierce. I want to create worlds of hope, grace, and confidence in those I love the most. Is this something you need to do?... What healing might begin, or what new worlds might be possible, because you choose to speak blessings rather than curses to those around you?

Would you right now stop and resolve that your words will heal and no pierce, will you choose to speak blessing rather than curses?  Will you?

Yes, yes!

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...
Post a Comment
Read more

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life.   It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed.   Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life.   Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you.   You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good.   Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...
Post a Comment
Read more